Mädchen Amick has decided to leave Riverdale after seven seasons. Since 2016, Amick has starred on The CW show as Alice Cooper (or Smith), and she has made the most of her time in the role. In fact, “Chapter 130: The Crucible” is Amick’s third time directing an episode of Riverdale, and she isn’t going out without addressing some heavy issues.
However, she must first cope with the emotional aftermath of the show’s cancellation over the weekend.
“I knew that was gonna be emotional,” Amick told Decider. To paraphrase, “But yeah, we started as soon as we came together and even started to rehearse, we were just looking at each other were like, ‘don’t look at me.'”
Spoilers ahead for this week’s episode, in which Riverdale High School in the 1950s becomes the target of the United States’ anti-Communist witch hunt. When Archie Andrews’ (KJ Apa) favorite teacher is let go, chaos ensues in Riverdale (and beyond) due to fears of communists, “deviant behavior” from LGBTQ+ students at school, and, worst of all, comic books full of graphic violence. Obviously, the youth are not going to take this lying down. Jughead Jones (Cole Sprouse) and Ethel Muggs (Shannon Purser), meanwhile, steal copies of a banned comic book to sell at Pop’s Diner behind the counter while Archie ponders how to help his teacher. Meanwhile, Madelaine Petsch plays Cheryl Blossom, Vanessa Morgan plays Toni Topaz, Casey Cott plays Kevin Keller, and Karl Walcott plays Clay Walker, all of whom switch partners to throw off the authorities. And Betty Cooper (Lili Reinhart) decides to launch an alternative newspaper focused on adolescent activism.
However, Veronica Lodge’s (Camila Mendes) biggest storyline is saved for when her father Hiram Lodge (Mark Consuelos) makes an unexpected appearance. Veronica must weigh the risks to her family against helping Hiram provide an alibi for his time in Cuba while the FBI investigates. In the end, she does lie, and it costs her the family: Hermione Lodge, played by Marisol Nichols, a returning guest star, reveals that she and Hiram are divorcing.
In the midst of it all, Veronica and Archie share an unexpected kiss, books are burned, and much more occurs. Curious as to what went into the episode’s production? When did Amick leave the set of Riverdale? When do they plan on leaving the 1950s? Will Skeet Ulrich’s FP Jones character make a comeback and win Alice over? Take a look below:
Decider: I have a question about the episode’s conclusion before we begin. All of the pictures and videos have been so heartwarming. Tell me about your last day of filming.
Girls Amick: Oh my goodness, it was a very touching time. A week ago, at our table read, not a single eye remained dry. It was incredibly difficult to read through. Roberto [Aguirre-Sacasa], the showrunner, reading the script to each and every actor… in which case it would be possible to say something like, “Well, okay, we got all of our emotion out at that point.” Not at all; not at all. You know, “going into work, it’ll be okay today, I know it’ll be emotional when they finally call wrap,” and the last scene was filmed with my two daughters, Lili [Reinhart] and Tiera [Skovbye]. I anticipated the ensuing tears. But yeah, as soon as we got together and began to rehearse, we were just looking at each other and saying, “don’t look at me.” Then I turned around because the next scene involved nearly the entire cast (with the exception of Madelaine, Cole, Lili, and Vanessa, who were the Monday-filming “last day cast”). This meant that everyone else would also be saying their goodbyes on Saturday. So there was a wide range of feelings involved.
You’ve played Alice in a variety of guises over the years; do you have a favorite? 1950s Alice or Serpent Alice?
Is it bad that I liked Hippie Alice? Even though you know she believes — gets wrapped up in something and is righteous about it, this was the first time we actually got to meet her. That she wanted to let go and be free but was fighting herself and her instincts made for an interesting take on a very uptight character. Simply put, it was a great character for roleplaying.
Skeet Ulrich’s apparent absence from the set of Falice has disappointed some of the show’s loyal followers. Is there a chance that Falice won’t lose the game? Or is it time to put that chapter to rest?
That chapter must now be closed. The intention was for him to return after he was invited back. Sadly, it all came to naught. I am unaware of the specifics. However, he ultimately decided not to join us. We hoped that everyone would make it, and I believe that Roberto’s goal for that final season was to get as many players back as possible. His character was supposed to have his own episode, but it never aired. As a result, Falice’s devoted audience is still pining for a sequel that was never made.
In the meantime, I’ll just keep visualizing the two of you cruising away on a motorcycle.
Yes! [Laughs] I’ll give you a hint: Alice has a happy ending. She does, in the end, find the love of her life. But everyone is obligated to tune in.
It was a fantastic chance. I believe that there is a younger generation that may not know that part of history because they did not live through it, but we were reciting history and obviously placing it in the town of Riverdale with our characters. It’s hard to believe it could actually happen. But, you know, it’s history, and it was It gave us a chance to show that and comment on how, in this era of progressive thought, things like that simply can’t be tolerated. Therefore, I thought it was a great chance to bring that history into the present for our children and grandchildren to see.
There’s nothing particularly novel about this episode of Riverdale, but the characters are dealing with some heavy stuff in a number of different ways. I am aware of your Don’t MIND me organization. What level of that knowledge do you bring as a director from your life outside Riverdale to guide the actors working on the scenes, given that storylines like these don’t necessarily deal directly with mental health but do impact the characters’ mental health?
It has always played a significant role in my approach to storytelling, whether I am the one portraying a scene or directing other actors to portray a scene. Life has taught me a lot, and I can’t help but apply what I’ve learned to my creative endeavors. Since it wasn’t a diagnosed mental disorder, I didn’t coach them to do anything in particular. Just making sure that we’re portraying the breakthroughs that they were having with kindness and complexity and as much grounded reality as possible, and guiding the actors through tapping into those emotions.
My question concerns the episode’s frequent use of monologues. You’ve got these actors, who usually play themselves, taking on new roles. In particular, KJ Apa’s Crucible monologue left me feeling so moved that I began to cry while watching it. When there are so many moving parts in a scene, how do you get them to settle into a rhythm with you?
Since you’re always running late and never have enough of anything (time, money, energy, etc.), I make do with what I can. However, the most important part of accomplishing anything is making the protagonist feel as though they have all the time in the world to do so. I schedule my day accordingly, and we always allow for extra travel time. So, I’ll just quickly shoot another scene. To make sure I’m giving them room to experiment and take risks without fear of repercussion. That is the single most important lesson I’ve taken away from my acting career. Now, when I’m directing, if I want the actors to really feel something, I get everything set up ahead of time. When the actors arrive on set, they can give it their all because I’ve already prepared the cameras and rehearsed numerous times with stand-ins. This is the third time KJ has done so. Because of the diminishing returns, I lost interest in continuing. Would Archie speak with an American or British accent? He must have had an accent, right? When KJ expressed interest in adopting a British accent for us, I encouraged him to follow his instincts. After his stellar performance, I drew him aside. I asked if we thought Archie had the intelligence to understand this. In addition to that? Yes, he says, “I’m not sure. Allow me to create one without it. He did. We weren’t as enthusiastic about it. So I said, “Okay, give me one more and we’ll sort of meet in the middle.” Consider the possibilities! Then he went ahead and completed the task. It was very attractive. The first try was chosen because it reflected his instinct and the energy he was channeling. Working with the performers and providing a secure environment led to a beautiful final product, in my opinion.